
How to use performance management tools to motivate and encourage high performance.
The area of employee recognition is increasingly important, both to the success of a company and to the employees themselves. Employee recognition directly impacts the performance management process, as employees who regularly feel undervalued, underappreciated, and overlooked are not inclined to perform at their best. They are also unlikely to be an asset to your organisation, as a lack of recognition ultimately leads to a lack of motivation and employee engagement. The concept of recognition is critical in so many ways, and yet it is an ongoing managerial problem, as not many companies know how to effectively recognise employee behaviour.
Fortunately for organisations, far from being complicated or expensive, employee recognition is actually inexpensive and simple. It doesn’t require very much aside from time, authenticity, and communication. Performance management software can help the employee recognition process in a number of ways, ultimately streamlining the delivery of recognition. This benefits companies, who will profit from happier, more ambitious employees.
Why is employee recognition important?
A dedicated and engaged employee is one who feels pride in their work and wants to do well, not only for the sake of their own careers, but to advance the company itself. These employees are assets to any organisation, but they are unlikely to stay engaged or driven for long if it becomes clear that their hard work is going unnoticed.
One misconception surrounding employee recognition is that it has to come in the form of monetary compensation. 43% of employees claim that they would feel more motivated by being treated well than they would by a salary increase. Another study found that 80% of employees stated that they work harder when they feel appreciated. This goes to show that the best way to recognise and demonstrate your appreciation is simple communication.
Use performance management software to communicate recognition
With performance management software, feedback can be instantly solicited or provided online via computer, mobile or tablet. A manager can send a message congratulating the employee in question on their recent success, progress or effort which can then be discussed in more detail at their next check-in. Clear Review is both user-friendly and intuitive and replicates the ease of communication popularised by social media platforms so that recognition is simple and straightforward.
An important consideration regarding recognition is that when managers take the time to appropriately communicate recognition, they are reinforcing desirable actions and behaviour. This ultimately leads to a more productive and skilled workforce. Remember that recognition in itself should be simple, regular, immediate, and authentic.
In light of accomplishments, address Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
If an employee is working hard and consistently surpassing their goals, it is an indication that they are ambitious and eager to progress, both as an employee and for the benefit of the company. Discussing and agreeing personal development and career goals will demonstrate to the employee that you are invested in their professional development and that your relationship is reciprocal. The company is supporting them and cares enough to help them improve their current skills and potential.
Encourage employees to use your performance management software to capture and track their personal development and career objectives. This will give their manager and HR visibility of their personal development needs and career plans enabling them to better support the employee. Remember to regularly revisit personal development plans so that they don’t become stagnant.
Hold regular meetings and employee catch-ups
Since the recent shift towards continuous performance management and the rethinking of performance ratings, regular one-on-ones with employees are becoming an integral part of HR life. These ‘check-in’ meetings allow for a review of progress and priorities, exchange of information and feedback, and they also provide managers with the opportunity to express their congratulations on a job well done.
Meetings should be regular, and employees should be able to request meetings whenever they deem appropriate. Performance management software can give these meetings structure, remind employees when it is time to check-in and ensure that action points are captured and followed up.
Knowing when to recognise good performance with a raise or promotion
Some large companies (including General Electric and Microsoft) have made the decision to forgo performance ratings. As such, questions arise about how, without ratings, managers will know which employees to promote or reward with an increase in salary. Traditionally, ratings have always played a large role in this area.
Although there has been a recent shift away from rewarding performance directly with pay, decisions still need to be made about promotions and bonuses. Companies such as Deloitte have opted to get managers to ask certain questions to determine whether or not a promotion or a bonus is appropriate. Performance management software can assist in this area. Clear Review has a feature called “Viewpoints”, which enables organisations to configure questions for managers to answer periodically about their team members. The answers to these questions are then exported to Excel, ready to feed into reward and promotion decisions.
Regardless of the size of your organisation, it is essential that you begin to consider your approach to recognising employee efforts. Without a system in place, it is unlikely that you will get the most out of your employees, and they may well take their skills elsewhere. Take advantage of the tools and software available to you and see your employees’ performance go from strength to strength.
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